Improvement in hand-levers for operating sewing-machines



' Y THSHANKS. Hand-Lever for Operating Sewing-Machine..

Patented j une 24,1879.

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TJNJJTED STATEe PATENT OEEIcE.

THOMAS SHANKS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-LEVERS FOR OPERATING SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2] 6,901, dated June 24, 1879; application filed v May 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SHANKS, of the city of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in. Hand-Levers for Operating Sewing-Ma chines, of which the following is a specifica- Theobject of my invention is to provide a hand-lever which shall be suitably connected with the driving-Wheel of a sewing-machine, and be in the most convenient position for seizure by the hand, and which shall be jointed, to permit the lprojecting or hand end, when not in nse, to hang down out of the way, and so. constructed that when in 'this position it will be unaffected by, the motion given the other end should the machine be operated by the foot-treadle.

Figure l is a side view of" a machineembodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is the same view, showing the rod connecting the lever with the wheel disconnected. Fig. 3 is the same, showing the connecting-rod attached to the wheel.

The letter A represents the stand-top of the machine; B, the driving-wheel 5 C, the pitman, as usual, connecting with the foot-treadle D, and E is the hand-lever, which is jointed and also pivoted at j'.

The short arm E is connected by a rod, h, with the same wrist-pin on the wheel to which the pitman is, or may be, attached. The con- .necting-rod may, however, be attached to the pitman, as the same result will be obtained.

The part of the arm E constituting the joint is rounded, and provided on its upper edge with a notch, n. The hand-lever E isI provided near the joint with the pawl t', having one end bent at a right angle or shaped to fit the notch in the short arm, and a spring, 19, is employed to insure the engagement of the bent end of pawl with the notch whenever the hand-lever is raised so as to bring these part-s into coincidence.

' In the present example the hand-lever is pivoted and jointed at the same point-that is, the pin on which the lever pivots is .also the pin on which the two parts are jointed;

`to the machine.

The hand-lever may be turned down, as

but it is obvious the lever may be jointed' at any other part so as tohang down out of the way, and I do not limit my claim to the particular form shown.

By the aid of the lever the machine may be run by the right hand vof the operator, or by the left hand of a person sitting in proximity shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by depressing the end of the pawl, and is then out of the way when the machine is not in use; or, when thus turned down, the machine may be operated by the foot-treadle in the ordinary manner'and without thereby moving the hand-lever.

My improvement in hand-levers is adapted for any kind of machines other than sewingmachines, and may be attached to any old sewing-machine at but triiiing expense. j

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. As a means for operating a niachine, a handlever having a joint and pivoted or hinged to the table or frame of the machine,

in combination with a rod connecting one of the arms of the jointed lever with the driving wheel, whereby the hand end of the lever may be turned ont ofthe way, as set forth.

2. In combination,a hand-lever pivoted to the frame of the machine and jointed at the pivoting-point, a rod to connect one arm of the lever with the drive-wheel, and mechanism to make the joint of the lever rigid, substantially as set forth.

3. A-hand-lever'for operating the driving- Wheel of a machine pivoted to the machine and also jointed at the same point, and the joint made rigid by a spring-pawl on one part engaging with a notch on the other part, and connected so as to drive the wheel, as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April, 1879.

Y THOMAS sHANKs. Witnesses CHAs. B. MANN, GHAs. E. LEWIS. 

